This invention relates generally to the integration of circuit elements and/or auxiliary terminals to light units having primary terminals; and more particularly concerns a method and means of providing such integration in a structure which mounts the light unit to a panel or circuit board. While the invention will be primarily described in relation to a light unit in the form of a light emitting diode, or LED, it will be understood that other forms of light units, as for example incandescent lamps, and neon lamps, may be used.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,330, there is described a means for quickly mounting a light unit such as an LED for example, to a panel, with unusual advantage. There is presently a need for integrating a circuit element or elements to such a light unit and mount therefor, such elements typically comprising resistors. While it is known to remotely electrically connect circuit elements with light units such as LEDs, such prior connections are bulky; they impose weight on the LED leads; they require unwanted assembly steps including soldering of the elements to wires projecting from the LEDs; and they suffer from other disadvantages. To my knowledge, no way was known, prior to the present invention, to integrate a circuit element or elements with light units by the unusually advantageous means described herein, to provide the surprisingly advantageous results now achievable.